One More Day
by glamglaceon
Summary: Complete. AU. What if Remus Lupin got to see Harry before the boy went to the Dursleys? Warning: has been proven to invoke tears.


One More Day

**One More Day**

_Written by Christina Elizabeth Lupin_

_Summary_: One-shot. AU. What if Remus got to see little Harry one last time before he was sent to the Dursleys?

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to the universe. It belongs to J.K. Rowling and whoever else owns the rights. I, alas, am not a published writer, though I may possess the talent of writing.

_A/N_: I seem to be spouting out several one-shots lately. I don't know why that is. The ideas come to me and they never leave until I have written them down and then I decide to publish them. Maybe I should just post a story where I put all of my one-shots in.

--_**One More Day**_--

Remus Lupin's hands shook as he read the Daily Prophet the next morning. He just couldn't believe it. Sirius Black, one of his most trusted friends, murdered James Potter, his wife Lily, and their friend Peter Pettigrew. Remus was slightly thankful that last night was the full moon and he was not in proper mind, or else he would have gone after the man. How could this have happened? Why would Sirius ever betray James' location? Sirius and James were like brothers: inseparable.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg, as it were. The werewolf read that James and Lily's son, Harry, was to be sent to his last remaining relatives. A snarl ripped from his mouth and he threw the paper down. Petunia _loathed_ magic. She would never view Harry as a son; only as a nuisance.

With that in mind, Remus grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and threw it into the fireplace. The flames roared and turned green, signaling that it was safe to enter. "Hogsmeade," he called, entering the fire.

--

Albus Dumbledore stared down at the makeshift crib in his office, a smile on his face. He had Hagrid bring Harry Potter to Hogwarts to make sure the boy was alright before handing him off to the Dursleys. Besides, he wouldn't be seeing the boy until Harry turned eleven, when he would be accepted at Hogwarts.

"Professor," a familiar voice called from outside his office door.

Dumbledore smiled. He knew who it was. "Come in, Remus."

The door opened and Remus Lupin entered, looking horrible than the last time Dumbledore had seen the man. After all, he had just lost all his friends in one night. How else would the man look? Also, Remus had gone through his transformation last night as well.

Before Dumbledore could say anything, Remus' nostrils flared and his eyes widened. "Harry's here?" he asked, looking hopeful.

The older wizard knew he couldn't hide the boy any longer from his werewolf 'uncle' nor a werewolf from his 'cub', so he nodded and gestured to the crib next to Fawkes' stand. "He's here, Remus. I just wanted to make sure he was alright before…"

"Before you send him off," the young wizard finished, walking toward the crib and peering down, a brilliant smile on his face. "Hey, cub." He spoke softly, affection clearly evident in his voice.

Dumbledore turned away, his throat suddenly becoming obstructed with grief. Even though Harry would be happier and healthier with Remus, and vice versa, there was no way the man could adopt the boy. Dolores Umbridge was the main reason. She had drafted up several laws that went against magical creatures that lived as human beings, such as werewolves and merfolk and vampires. No creature could ever take care of or have a child of their own.

Remus gently picked Harry up and he chuckled at the noises the baby made, his green eyes smiling up at him. His heart nearly burst with happiness for a moment before it sank back down into his stomach. He knew it was a mistake coming here but he had to see his cub one last time, for he knew that it would be many years before Remus would ever see him again.

"I want you to remember just how much we all loved you," he whispered to the baby. "Even if things seem impossible or hard, I want you to remember that." He held the boy closer to his chest and he tried not to hug the boy too hard.

It was as if Harry knew what was going on, because he stayed quiet, not making a sound. Remus' breath hitched when he felt five tiny fingers grab hold of his hand and he nearly broke out in tears. He roughly pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead, right on the lightning bolt scar.

"Promise me," Remus said a little louder, his grief turning his voice hoarse, "promise me, Dumbledore, that Harry will be safe, wherever he is going."

"I promise, Remus," Dumbledore replied. "The blood wards will not allow anyone with ill intent to the boy enter the house."

"Even his relatives?" Remus' eyes bore into the headmaster's eyes. The older wizard nodded. "Good." He reluctantly forced his arms to move and the werewolf put the baby down in the crib, his tears now running down his face. "Be good, cub, and remember that I will always love you." He kissed Harry's forehead again and he stroked the messy black thatch of hair on the boy's head. "I will see you again, Harry. This is not goodbye." With a stiff nod in Dumbledore's direction, Remus Lupin vanished from the office.

Once he was outside the office, Remus slumped to the floor and he cried. He didn't just cry for himself, but he cried for James, for Sirius, for Peter, and, more importantly, he cried for Harry, a little boy who held the world on his shoulders and whose family was lost because of one man's mistake.

--

fin


End file.
